This Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken features juicy, tender chicken, caramelized pineapples, and a sweet and tangy Hawaiian-inspired sauce. Serve this up with rice and top with chopped green onions for the perfect, island inspired meal!
If you’re looking for easy dinner recipes, be sure to check out Hawaiian Shrimp Bowls, Hawaiian Hamburger Steaks, Hawaiian Haystacks, and Spicy Hawaiian Burgers.
Why This Recipe Works
Sweet & Tangy: My Hawaiian-inspired chicken marinade is the perfect combination of sweet, tangy and spicy. With a bit of pineapple juice, soy sauce, and sriracha, you will get flavor packed chicken with every bite!
Island-Inspired: Ever wish you could just pick up and go to Hawaii in the middle of winter? Me too. That is why I created this huli huli chicken recipe. The flavors in this grilled Hawaiian chicken are reminiscent of island life. So sit back and let the flavors take you away!
Easy to Make: Once you make the marinade, let it do its job for a few hours! Then, you can either cook up this chicken on the grill or on the stovetop. This easy huli huli chicken will guarantee a delicious meal in less than an hour!
Ingredients
This Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken takes a few pantry staples to come together into the best, most addictive chicken recipe! Here’s what you’ll need:
- For the Marinade: Toss together pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, rice vinegar, sriracha, toasted sesame oil, and red pepper flakes for the tangy, umami packed marinade.
- Chicken Thighs: I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. The thighs are great because they are not easily over cooked on the grill. You can use chicken breast if you prefer, but be careful not to overcook them!
- Pineapple: One small, fresh pineapple is used to grill up some fresh pineapple slices and add them to the meal.
- For Serving: I like to eat my huli huli chicken with white rice and some sliced green onions on top!
Here’s How You Make It
Step by Step Instructions
- Make the Marinade: In a large, non reactive bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, rice vinegar, sriracha, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Add the chicken thighs and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight. (photos 1-2)
- To grill the chicken: Prepare the grill for cooking over an indirect heat. Grill the pineapple rings until they have taken on a nice bit of caramelization. This should take a few minutes on each side. Set aside around the outside of the grilling area to keep warm. Add the chicken, working in batches and basting with the remaining marinade often until the chicken is cooked through and is coated in a sticky glaze. Each piece should take about 15 minutes. (photos 3-4)
- To cook the chicken on an indoor griddle: Heat a large lined skillet or griddle pan (or a regular pan if you don’t have either of those), over medium high heat. Cook the pineapple rings until they have taken on a nice bit of caramelization. This should take a few minutes on each side. Transfer to a warm place to keep warm. Add the chicken, working in batches and basting with the remaining marinade often until the chicken is cooked through and is coated in a sticky glaze. Each piece should take about 15 minutes.
- Serve & Enjoy: Serve the huli huli chicken and pineapple over white rice and top with sliced green onions. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- When grilling chicken, you can check if it is done with a meat thermometer. The chicken thighs will be 165 degrees when they are done!
- Prep the chicken ahead by starting the marinade in the morning so that it is ready to be cooked and super flavorful by dinner time!
- Stay away from fresh pineapple juice for the marinade! Fresh pineapple juice has an enzyme that will make the chicken too tender and almost mushy. Stick with canned or cartoned pineapple juice for the marinade portion of this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Huli Huli chicken is a Hawaiian grilled chicken recipe. “Huli” in Hawaiian means “turn” which refers to the way the chicken is turned over and over on the grill and basted in the sticky, tangy sauce.
Absolutely! If you prefer to cook the chicken in the oven, preheat the oven to 375. Bake the chicken for about 30 minutes, then take it out and baste it in some more marinade. Then, let the chicken cook for another 5 minutes, and broil for 1 minute at the end. Check the temperature with a meat thermometer to make sure it has come to at least 165 degrees.
More Easy Chicken Recipe to Try
- One Pot Spanish Chicken & Rice
- Honey Lime Garlic Chicken
- Instant Pot Honey Teriyaki Chicken
- One Pot Greek Chicken & Orzo
- Best Baked Chicken Thighs
- Baked Lemon Chicken
Did you try this recipe? FANTASTIC. Be sure to rate the recipe below and tag me when you share a photo on social, I love to see what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Hawaiian Huli Huli Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ cup pineapple juice
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ½ tbsp minced ginger
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp sriracha
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 small pineapple
- sliced green onions - for serving
- white rice - for serving
Instructions
- In a large, non reactive bowl, whisk together the pineapple juice, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, sriracha, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Add the chicken thighs and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but preferable overnight.
To Grill the Chicken
- Prepare the grill for cooking over an indirect heat. Grill the pineapple rings until they have taken on a bit of caramelization. This should take a few minutes on each side. Set aside around the outside of the grilling area to keep warm.
- Add the chicken, working in batches and basting with the remaining marinade often until the chicken is cooked through and is coated in a sticky glaze. Each piece should take about 15 minutes.
- Serve the chicken and pineapple with white rice and sliced green onions.
To Cook the Chicken on an Indoor Griddle
- Heat a large lined skillet or griddle pan over a medium high heat. Cook the pineapple rings until they have taken on a nice bit of caramelization, this should take a few minutes on each side. Transfer to a warm place to keep warm.
- Add the chicken, working in batches and basting with the remaining marinade often until the chicken is cooked through and is coated in a sticky glaze. Each piece should take about 15 minutes.
- Serve the chicken and pineapple with white rice and sliced green onions.
Notes
- Use bottled pineapple juice from a carton, rather than fresh.
- If you make the marinade in a reactive metal bowl the pineapple juice will cause your chicken to take on a slightly metallic taste.
- Nutrition information does not include white rice.
This sounds so DeLish ~ may make this for dinner tomorrow.
Thanks
Sounds very similar to chinese sweet and sour chicken, except a hot version with sriracha. May try it soon, thanks.
I was thinking sweet and sour also! That’s Hawaiian food (and culture in general) for you: about ten different influencing cultures all jumbled up and taking some of the best things from each.
I’ve just spent the last 20 minutes pinning recipes from your blog… great photos and creative recipes!
I made this and added pineapple and snow peas to this. This was delish! Definitely a new family fav!
Ooh, snow peas would be amazing with this – they’re one of my favorite veggies!!!
I made this for dinner yesterday. My husband and I both loved it. That spicy sauce is delicious!